More Thoughts

I began to write in my journal some when we get free time and I haven’t had internet, but here some of my entries.

January 18th
A cleaning woman came in and took my trash and while I really appreciated it I felt bad because not even in my dorms at Meredith did they come and take your trash out of your rooms. The comfortable accommodations make adjusting a bit easier (the bed is quite hard, but I’m easy to please and can sleep anywhere), but I must remind myself of the reasons why I came to South Africa. It wasn’t to be pampered or sleep on a comfortable bed every night; it was to go to school to meet awesome people and most importantly for me, to volunteer. I agree that going abroad to get a different look at things and learn different is great, but at the same time I appreciate learning opportunities I have at Meredith and came here for more than that. The first downhill phase has come and after lugging pounds of groceries all the way back to our apartment (which was twice as far as the store at home that I drive to). We didn’t get to put internet on our computers yet. I know how much I appreciate it and count on it for entertainment and communication, but it is nice to not have it and get to know everyone right here better. The woman who was here earlier cleaning said that the “white girls” who stayed in my apartment last semester didn’t ever talk to her. I asked her about living in Stellenbosch and she said that she lives here but has to walk an hour home every day. And to think that I complained about a 20 minute walk with groceries. My, the way things are being put into perspective.

January 19th
While it was nice to get a few minutes of internet today, there wasn’t much I felt like I was missing. Most of my emails were junk (minus a few from mom and pops), and while large numbers of Facebook notifications and messages from my best friend are appreciated and exciting it’s nice to know I must be in the right place. Orientation helped make things better because there was a set schedule (I’m finally admitting that the darn things help my sanity) and we got to meet even more students. I finally met some students from NC (yay south!) and they even go to ASU (oh NC mountains). It appears I can’t help but be active and never bored no matter where I am so hopefully I am getting involved with Habitat, ISOS (an international student organization that takes us on trips) and the Kayamandi project, and the dance society.

January 20th
Because the currency here is so different (divide the prices by 7 to get an average amount) we have been joking about how we are “spending mad rand.” Well, after eating out a little too much and going out (I won’t say TOO much yet) my “mad rand” is disappearing a bit fast. Orientation activities continued today and I discovered one of my classes is 9 credits. I am excited for it because we will be volunteering, but the scheduling process doesn’t work the way I wish it did. At orientation there was a really awesome guy who taught us isiXhosa, the language of many South Africans (especially in areas like Kayamandi). We learned the different clicks and needless to say it is a very difficult language to pick up, but fun. I am trying to find beauty in a only somewhat structured schedule. When orientation is over we will have lots of free time and I hope I can find the beauty in that. I can wake up then decide what I want to do with the day. It is quite a different change of pace from Meredith life.

January 22nd
I thought that I should write about all my new friends! There are four students here with Arcadia and they are Maria, Justin and Brianna, and I. We all arrived to Cape Town then rode here to Stellenbosch together. There are other Arcadia students arriving to South Africa now, but they will be attending University of Cape Town and Western Cape. We get to go on an excursion with them this weekend. I have really connected with everyone from Arcadia and they are all from the north (Jersey, NY, and Rhode Island) so they enjoy picking on things I say but we’re already like a family. Since we have been here we got close to Cindy, a WVU student who is doing direct exchange and our really nice neighbors which include some girls from ASU. There are quite a few American International students, but there are also International students from France and countries in Europe. Emma, Allen and Lenny took care of us Arcadia students the first few days we were here. Allen is the director here Emma is a grad student at UCT that acts as our “mom” here. Lenny is our really awesome driver. He drives students from Arcadia programs and he is the one who picked me up at the airport the night I arrived. It is cool to have met so many people that come from so many different places. Although we are all from “the states” as everyone says here in SA , we are all from different cities and states and have different backgrounds. I am glad my close friends agree that it’s important to meet the locals too. It is easier to relate to the American International students, but we should make local friends too. Today we went on bus tours through Cape Town. I wasn’t 100% but some greasy food helped and I bought a CD from a group that was performing on the waterfront where we stopped for lunch and shopping.

January 23rd/24th
I think I’d have to call this day the perfect day. I love having relaxed Sundays and this one started with Emma picking us up for a little trip. We thought we were going to the market, but since it was closed she said that she would take us on a wine tour. The place we ended up going called Laurensford had not only wine tastings, but coffee, cheese and chocolate. I was in food/drink heaven. It was such a great day for it too. After smelling beans and tasting cheeses we picked four wines to taste and I bought a bottle for less than $5. Emma even took us to the grocery store on the way home, which was a HUGE help because we didn’t have to walk across town with pounds of food. We rested for the rest of the afternoon, and then smoked hookah downtown at a really cool restaurant. It was a nice way to wrap up the weekend. We are now in the midst of rag week, which here is like rush for fraternities and sororities, but for first year students. There are all kinds of activities and people screaming and dancing, and of course there is lots of alcohol consumption. It’s like my sister reminded me though; not only is it expensive to drink it means lots of sugar which makes lots of fat. Classes start in less than a week, so hopefully I will have those things straightened out by the weekend as well. Yesterday there was an activities and clubs fair (Monday). There were a lot of cool organizations to sign up for. I signed up for Habitat, the hiking club, and the conservation club. I got some information for the dance society and wine tasting club too. I am going to be part of ISOS and that is the International Students Organization of Stellenbosch. We go on excursions and volunteer in Kayamandi. I got lots of information from different churches in the area and that was really exciting. Hannah Lyon, a Presbyterian from home who is studying here, invited me to attend the Presbyterian Church with her so I think I’ll join her Sunday if I am around.

It’s off to the beach now I believe and hopefully getting my season ticket for the football (soccer) games.

He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men;
Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.
That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God
I know that everything God does will endure forever;
Nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.
God does it so that men will revere him.
-Ecclesiastes 3:11-14